Rockford, Winnebago County officials discuss casino cash

ROCKFORD — The riverboat casino in Elgin made $17 million last month. Aurora’s made about $12 million, while more than a million people walked through the doors of Illinois’ 10 casinos in July.

Greg Stanley

ROCKFORD — The riverboat casino in Elgin made $17 million last month. Aurora’s made about $12 million, while more than a million people walked through the doors of Illinois’ 10 casinos in July.

Like gamblers hoping to strike it big, Rockford and Winnebago County politicians are debating and planning how they’d spend their share of the gambling pie, as Rockford lingers tantalizingly close to hosting a casino.

Ald. Venita Hervey, D-5, sees it as a chance to break the city’s reliance on tax increment finance districts to spur redevelopment. Rockford has 32 TIF districts that are on track to drain more than $2 million a year from the city’s general fund until 2024.

“I always say that TIFs are our crack,” Hervey said. “And it’s because it’s the only thing we have for redevelopment. But if this can help us finally get off of TIFs ...”

The state Senate has approved the gaming expansion bill. It would bring five more casinos to the state if it’s approved by the House and Gov. Pat Quinn, who has refused twice to sign gambling expansion into law.

A Rockford casino is estimated to raise anywhere from $6 million to $12 million in local tax revenue a year.

Several city aldermen met Wednesday night with County Board members to talk about financial strategies. It was an offshoot of a joint meeting the two governing bodies held in May, when they promised to collaborate and try to find savings wherever they could be found.

The talks turned to the ongoing debate on how or if to split the local tax cut should a casino come to Rockford.

Board Chairman Scott Christiansen has called for 60 percent to stay with Rockford and for 40 percent to be divided up among the rest of the county. Mayor Larry Morrissey has dismissed the percentages as “arbitrary.” He wants to locally negotiate how to spend the money, instead of the split being mandated in the state bill.

County Board member John Sweeney said the board is nearly unanimously behind Christiansen’s proposal.

“We’re, of course, tired of hearing the bickering and posturing, but we’re trying to move the conversation forward to a consensus,” Sweeney told aldermen. “And I’m comfortable saying that the County Board supports this resolution.”

Hervey acknowledged that the entire county has needs, but said that Rockford has more.

“You just don’t have the concentration and the grinding poverty that we have in Rockford,” Hervey said. “And that will continue to be generational until we can arrest it.”

Aldermen plan to discuss casino revenue before the full City Council in the coming weeks.